I have worked with a public consulting company for 2-3 years mainly doing M&A strategy work. I have recently received offers from E&Y's TAS group in business integration, and a small boutique firm which focuses in the tech space - which pays 35-40% more and offers a more entrepreneurial environment (doing strategy and M&A consulting; buy and sell side advisory).
I already have my MBA from a top 25 school, and want to know which of these two options would be a better option if I want to get into the PE space in a couple years. (I have always figured I rather be working directly for the PE making the $$$ vs helping them throughout the transaction life-cycle via a consulting firm).
Anyone with experience or thoughts on this would be a huge help!
If you already have your MBA, have no PE experience yet, and won't for a few more years, I don't think you have a very good chance of breaking into the industry at all.
I was 23 when I finished, (went straight from undergrad), so I would be looking to switch over to PE before I am 30; currently 27. My thought was with all of my operational experience working with PEs, and my understanding of the M&A life cycle, it could be valuable to a PE firms. Is this non-traditional approach one that is destine to fail? I appreciate everyone's input.
Is your position with E&Y Transaction Integration or Business Integration? I don't see Business Integration under their Services.
Yes, sorry, Transaction Integration.
That helps a bit that you were so young when you got your MBA. I assumed (given the more common route) that you were already in your early thirties. You can make the same case to a recruiter that you just made to us but I think you know it will be an uphill battle. At 29-30, you will be joining most Private Equity Firms as an Associate and almost all of your competition will have had 2 years of pre-MBA experience in PE. I'm not terribly familiar with the E&Y position but my first impression would be that you are best off in any investment banking setting as compared to that role so I'd take the boutique.
So you don't think having the E&Y name holds that much weight with PEs? I think that is one of my biggest hangups.
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